where I came from.”
His grip on her tightened as soft lips pressed into the top of her head. The sigh he expelled spoke
volumes of his regret. Something told her it was regret for her shame, however, not his. Inexplicably,
she believed, after all he’d already accepted of her past, he wouldn’t be ashamed of her now.
“I’m sorry, baby.”
“It’s stupid to be upset about something so irrelevant. It changes nothing. It’s just another shift in
the pieces I’ve stood on all my life, another unstable chip in who I am.”
“You’re right. It doesn’t change anything. You’re still you, and you’re more a compilation of your
strength of will and personal experiences than anyone who played a part in the making of cells.”
“So why does it hurt so much?”
His chest expanded and he exhaled slowly. “Because those made-up memories were yours, and
someone took them away. When you don’t have a lot, I imagine every bit counts, whether we
acknowledge those parts of who we are or not. But this doesn’t change anything, Evelyn. You’re still
the same person you were this morning.”
“Who is that?”
“Pardon?”
“Who am I?”
“You’re a young woman trying to find her way. You’re smart, courageous, loving, and honest.”
Her lips curled into a sad smile and she chuckled. “I’m Dorothy, the Tin Woodman, Scarecrow, and
Cowardly Lion all rolled into one.”
He laughed. “What?”
“Nothing. I was thinking about that story earlier and how much it frustrated me.”
“The Wizard of Oz?”
“Yeah. I was so mad when I found out the great and powerful wizard was just a man behind a
curtain.”
Lucian turned and softly said, “That’s all we all are. We’re just ordinary people trying to do great
things.”
“Yeah,” she agreed, for the first time feeling at ease with that mediocre explanation of people and
life. “I guess we are.”
***
The soft press of lips to the corner of her mouth had her lashes fluttering open. They were still in
the limo. She’d fallen asleep.
“I want you to call Jason and cancel your lesson for tonight.”
She blinked as words crammed to the forefront of her mind, preparing to spill out in argument.
Lucian cut her off. “Either you call him or I will. You’re exhausted. I’m taking you up to the
penthouse where you will take a long bath while I order dinner, and then I’m putting you to bed.”
“Lucian, there are some things I need more than sleep.”
He wasn’t angry, but his expression also told her he wasn’t budging. He held out his hand. “The
phone, Evelyn.”
Her head was fuzzy and her nose was stuffy from crying. Rubbing the heel of her hand into her eye,
she sat up. Maybe she should call it a day. The more her brain awoke the more she recalled why she
wanted to sleep.
Shoving thoughts of Pearl and her morning away, she lifted her hips and dug out her cell. Lucian
reached and she pulled her hand back. “It’s my responsibility. I’ll handle it.” He relented and she
dialed Jason’s number.
After leaving a quick voicemail saying she wouldn’t be able to make their appointment that
evening, she suffered an uncomfortable sort of guilt. She didn’t like making excuses.
“It’s for your own good,” Lucian said, rubbing his arm over her shoulder and easing her to the door
of the limo.
She didn’t like that he knew what was best for her before she did sometimes, but he was probably
right. She was muzzy headed and tired, emotionally drained. Still, she couldn’t give him too much
credit or he’d slowly start deciding everything for her, and she wasn’t ready for that. “I wouldn’t have made the call if I didn’t think it was the right choice.”
His eyes narrowed, studying her, but there was a slight quirk to his lips. A smile. “So tough. Come
on.”
The walk out of the limo was made in haste as it continued to rain, an otherwise beautiful day
turned into a dreary smudge of inconvenience. Shoes squeaked over the pristine lobby floor, and all
sound was buffered as the elevator doors closed around them.
When they arrived at the penthouse, Lucian walked her straight into the master bath and proceeded
to prepare the tub. Soft citrus fragrances wafted to her nose as bubbles frothed against the porcelain
walls. He helped her off with her shirt, expertly sliding each little button through its hole.
These were the moments she valued surrender. When they were alone and he took control, she was
able to let go and simply be. She valued that time, loved his gentle authority. Somehow her needs in
privacy were quite contrary to the control she needed of her own life outside these walls.
Her legs were stripped down to nothing, and he helped her step over the high lip of the tub. She
settled into the warm water and groaned at the delectable way the heat seeped into her bones.
Lucian disappeared and returned with a plush, folded bath towel and sat on the chair at the vanity.
She sensed his need to say something, so she faced him and turned off the faucet.